A. Field
This invention is a surf wax comb and holder having particular utility in the environment of surfboards and surfboard accessories.
B. Related Art and Problem to be Solved
Surf wax combs are used to roughen surf wax applied to the top of surfboards after the wax had been worn smooth by a surfer. The combs typically are small relatively rigid plastic flat sheets with teeth along one edge that are used to “comb” or roughen a wax coating that has been previously applied to the top side of a surfboard or to level bumps of wax built up on the board. Such combs are sold with or without the wax substance, and various forms of comb holders are available with wax containers, such as mounted on covers or packages of wax containers. The combs also may have a scraper edge along a rear and/or side edge of the combs.
A problem for surfers is avoiding loss of the surf wax combs, which are relatively small and easily misplaced or dropped in the sand of beaches where surfing is done, or otherwise simply forgotten at some place where the wax of the surfer's board was last combed. Even if the comb is kept in a pocket of a surfer (if a pocket is available) or on a tether attached to the surfer or the surfer's clothing, the likelihood of losing the comb is quite high and frequently occurs. The sharp comb teeth also present a danger of scratching or irritating the skin of a surfer when the comp is kept in a pocket or attached to the surfer as well.
Even if a comb is not actually lost, but is at a location remote from the location of the surfer, is may be inconvenient for the surfer to move to the location where the comb is located to retrieve the comb during surfing activity.
A solution to a lost or unavailable comb is to carry the comb on the surfboard, but this apparently has not been previously proposed. Such a comb carrying arrangement would enable the comb to be readily available to the surfer wherever the board was located, thereby avoiding loss of the comb or the need to walk to a remote location from the present location of the surfer to locate the comb. Ideally, the comb would be attached to the surfboard in a manner that would not require cutting into the surface of the board, which would weaken the board given the usual laminated construction of surfboards, and the comb could be sold as an original accessory mounted on a new surfboard or as an aftermarket accessory after the sale of the surfboard.
Ideally, the comb would not interfere with the function of the surfboard and would present no danger of bodily injury to a surfer either while carrying the board, paddling to a wave, riding a wave, wiping out or finishing at the shore. The comb also would need to be mounted in a secure manner given the often violent motion of the board during surfing activities. The comb preferably would be inexpensive to manufacture while providing all the benefits and advantages summarized above.